76-year-old man to spend 2 years behind bars in fatal Christmas Eve drunken driving crash

NORFOLK — A 76-year-old man will spend two years in prison for killing a pedestrian while driving drunk on Christmas Eve 2018 in a Food Lion parking lot.

In Norfolk Circuit Court on Wednesday, Judge Mary Jane Hall sentenced Charles R. Revele Jr. to 11 years behind bars with nine years suspended, according to prosecutors.

Revele pleaded guilty last year to one count of aggravated involuntary manslaughter and driving under the influence of alcohol in the crash that killed 69-year-old Benson Adetimehin of Norfolk.

Police and medics were called to the crash shortly before 5 p.m. Dec. 24, 2018, in the Food Lion parking lot at 3530 Tidewater Drive.

According to a summary of prosecutors’ evidence filed in court, Revele got behind the wheel of his friend’s truck while his friend was inside the grocery store. He proceeded to drive recklessly through the parking lot, hitting numerous parked vehicles and at least one that was occupied.

Adetimehin was standing between two cars and became pinned when Revele struck them, prosecutors said. He later died at a hospital.

Revele has a blood alcohol content of 0.22 when he was later tested, according to prosecutors.

Margaret Matray, 757-222-5216, margaret.matray@pilotonline.com